‘Take you higher’: The chocolate so Byron Bay it ‘heals’

It contains organic ingredients, fair-trade cacao and is often teamed with candles and intention sets. It spreads love, not calories. Its creator says it even helped her depression.

A Byron Bay local credits the creation of her own chocolate business will healing her depression.

Emica Penklis is a fashion designer, model and naturopath who has her own chocolate label, Loco Love.

The chocolate promises to “take you higher” and to vibrate on a higher frequency, by only using organic, plant-based ingredients and fair-trade cacao and is often teamed with candles and intention sets.

Penklis believes it was the decision to start the company that aided in helping her depression.

“I didn’t feel healthy or healed until I started meditating and weirdly started using my hands to make chocolate,” she starts. “I realise this sounds pretty out there and woo woo, but as I continued to make chocolate, life became more in flow.”

Byron Bay local Emica Penklis started chocolate company Loco Love. Pictures; Supplied

Loco Love. Pictures; Supplied

“My previous depression lifted and never came back. It’s been over eight years now. My purpose revealed itself and that was to spread love through chocolate.”

Penklis said working as a model for a decade was when she started becoming miserable and depressed, and removed foods like gluten and dairy from her diet.

Emica Penklis former life as a model helped her create Loco Love.

Emica Penklis (below) modelling with Lara Bingle, Rebecca Davies, Denniel Billett.

“I found I wanted to improve myself to get more jobs and in modelling the thing you seek to improve is your appearance. I definitely suffered as a result of this, though I don’t blame the industry,” she said.

However, those feelings were the motivation behind the chocolate business.

“Many years ago I definitely wanted to heal and help young women suffering from eating disorders and low self worth, as I understood it so deeply and had spent years of study and time healing myself.”

Penklis wanted to create a chocolate that everyone could enjoy, including people wanting to maintain a certain weight and healthy lifestyle. At the time, she said, there were not the healthiest options available, so people would just go without.

Emica Penklis and husband Jesse Lawrence. Picture: Instagram.

The treats from Loco Love. Pictures; Supplied

“Loco Love’s company mission is a lot different to other chocolate companies, it really genuinely is to spread love and raise vibrations through chocolate. It’s a personal belief of mine that the world needs more love and if everyone embodied ‘Love’ we would feel more connected and have compassion for each other and the planet.”

Penklis describes the sorcery in her products are the blends of superfoods, tonic herbs, probiotics and healing spices. The chocolates are sweetened with natural wholefood sweeteners such as coconut sugar, dates, brown rice syrup and maple syrup.

The chocolate is a favourite of skincare specialist to the stars Melanie Grant and is stocked in over 200 venues across Australia.

Penklis says being from Byron Bay has helped support her pursuit of career and family.

“I am not really driven by numbers, more about creating a fine balance so I can spend more time with my children, be creative, grow and make the world a more loving place,” she said.